This photo is copied from the Killington website so the "watch video" link does not work here . . . go to the Killington website to watch the videos and see how much snow they have.

Believe it or not, today marked the first day of ski season in Vermont, as the East's perennial first-starter (and longest season record holder) Killington opened for skiing today with nine trails and two lifts swinging into action.

Hard to believe I know but we have had snow at the upper elevations for a few weeks now. Killington's snow is a mixture of natural and artificial snow of course but they have about an 18 inch base going which is impressive.

If all goes according to schedule, nearby Okemo will be the next Vermont ski area open. They plan to do so on November 15. Other planned openings: Sugarbush and Stowe, Nov 22; Stratton, Nov 26; Jay Peak, Smuggler's Notch, and Bromley, Nov 28.

The other ski areas in the state plan December openings. It all depends upon mom nature of course. The best single source of information on openings is Vermont Ski Areas Association website

To see the latest information as it becomes available, go to the Ski Conditions page and check the Trails Open column.

Sugarbush in Warren VT is holding a job fair for the coming winter ski season. There are full time, part time, and seasonal jobs available. It's a great way to get a fun job and enjoy perks like free skiing and boarding.

Other Sugarbush job fairs will be held October 25 and November 15. If you can't make it to the fairs, try contacting Sugarbush Human Resources at hr@sugarbush.com

Many ski areas will be hiring for this winter and possibly even beyond. If you are interested but don't know which ski areas to approach, try the Vermont Ski Areas Association Ski Vermont Job Center. Right now there are not many listings but that will change soon.

Of course, you don't have to wait for job postings. You can contact the ski areas' human resources department now and get the jump on things.

I took a quick snapshot this afternoon of the hillside across the street. The foliage colors this year are magnificent. If you ever wanted to travel to Vermont to see the fall colors, you couldn't do any better than this year. Some of the upper elevations are a little past peak but still look very good and some areas have yet to peak. You still have time.

That's a question we get several times a day this time of year. It's usually an easy question to answer because you can drive anywhere and see good color on the trees. Later this month, the number of good drives begins to dwindle of course and the task takes more research.

Much of the answer depends on whether or not the person has a particular type of drive in mind or is open to any suggestion. For instance, some folks want a drive on remote country roads while others would prefer to go to the mountaintops.

Some of our favorite drives are on the highways which often surprises people. But the highways here in Vermont are free of billboards and often offer sweeping vistas. It's better for the passengers who have time to look but drivers don't get as good view because they are busy driving and there are few opportunities to pull over and look around. In our area, Interstate 89 around Montpelier has some great views to the west. And the same highway traveling south from Burlington, has another great view a few miles south of Exit 12.

Around our location, Route 100 either north or south is a good bet. And Route 108 from Stowe to Jeffersonville through Smuggler's Notch is one of my favorites summer and fall.

Your innkeeper can tell you about the best local roads to drive but the Vermont Department of Tourism has also put together a web page of 20 recommended foliage drives. Many of these are lengthy adventures, some of them 100 miles and more. Of course, you don't have to drive the whole route but these suggestions are a good starting point.

The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing does an excellent job of providing information about the state's popular fall foliage season. Click here to go to the state's Foliage Forecaster page. You will see the map shown above which you can automate or stop by clicking the dates alongside the map. It shows the foliage progression starting from the northern part of the state and the upper elevations, and then moving south and into lower elevations. Not every year has the same timing and some seasons last longer than others. The trees are very healthy this year from the rainy summer we had so everyone is expecting the colors to last a long time.

The VT Foliage Report report, compiled by reports from state is a great source of information about foliage all over the state and it provides recommendations for roads to drive. It is updated twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

One thing the Foliage Forecaster does not do is tell you the names of the counties on the map. nor are there any town names to help you serach for lodging. Here is a link to a county and village map so you can know where to look for lodging if you are not familiar with the state.

Fall Foliage Travel Planning

Here at the Grunberg Haus, we are full the first two weekends of October which is typical of most lodging places this time of year. However, we and many others have numerous weeknight openings. You have plenty of time left this month to see the trees in their full glory.

Last year was a spectacular year for color. This year is looking even better and may be the best we have had in many years.

If you are thinking of traveling to Vermont this fall, right now is the best time to get your plans pinned down.

I was saddened to hear today that Paul Newman has died. I never met him but our paths crossed, or nearly crossed, a few times.

The first time was when my wife and I took the kids on a driving vacation around New England about 20 years ago. We were on our way north to Quebec and stayed for a night at the North Hero House Inn. The owners had a photo album on display at the front desk. One of the photos showed Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in an old VW beetle convertible at the inn. They had stayed there sometime before we were there but I don't remember how long before.

I know the North Hero House has different owners now but if you ever get to travel there (very nice place by the way), you can ask if they still have that photo album. I doubt they do - I'll bet the previous owners took it with them. But at least you can say you stayed the same place Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward stayed.

The drive up Route 2 through the islands is OK enough. Most people think more of it than I do. The islands looks better from the water I think. Rent a boat while you are there and see for yourself. It seems to me that the islands are like flat farmland most anywhere and they don't compare at all to the mountains a short distance away. Most of the time you are on Route 2 you cannot see the water except for a few exceptions like North Hero House

That's just one person's opinion. Travel to Vermont and look at both the mountains and the islands, and you can then write to tell me I'm right or wrong.

The other times I saw Paul Newman were at sports car races at Watkins Glen NY. My brother was racing and Paul Newman had the pit garage next to my brother's team a couple of times. The last time I saw Newman race was a few years ago when he was in his late 70's. He was an excellent driver and when I was watching practice sessions, I was very impressed with how much speed he was carrying through the corners in his car. It would have been impressive to see anyone going that fast but to see someone almost 80 years old hustling a car that hard was inspiring!